It is necessary particularly in the medical and dental sectors to take all feasible measures which not only guarantee the safety of patients by preventing possible transfer of pathogenic or facultatively pathogenic germs, but also to avoid annoyance by odiferous bacteria.
One possible incubator for germs of that kind is a suction apparatus in the medical or dental fields, which accordingly have to be regularly cleaned and disinfected. For example, with a dental suction apparatus, a mixture flow of air, water, saliva, tooth material and the like is sucked out of the patient's mouth, separated from the air and the remainder fed to an outflow. Constituents of the mixture flow deposit in the suction hoses and pipe ducts, particularly bacteria, blood residues and further contaminants. It has been attempted to satisfy the requirements of hygiene by regular rinsing or other treatment with disinfecting agent and water mixtures. For the purpose of disinfection there have in the past usually been used liquid disinfecting agent concentrate on the basis of quaternary ammonium compounds, which are diluted before use. The disadvantage of this method consists in an insufficient dwell time of the disinfecting solution in the suction apparatus, as rivulets form in the suction hose by reason of flow technology, whereby a uniform wetting of the inner surfaces of the hoses is not provided. Moreover, the quaternary ammonium compounds employed have only a limited spectrum of efficacy against bacteria, fungus and cloaked virii. In particular, efficacy relative to mycobacteria is not guaranteed with these active ingredients.
A further possibility of use of the state of the art is represented by the use of pulverulent or granulated disinfecting agents according to DE 40 10 615. If the use is carried out after previous moistening of the suction system, then a longer dwell time as well as a sufficiently uniform wetting are possible in the case of the method according to DE 40 10 615. However, the disadvantage of this method consists in guaranteeing a homogenous distribution of the disinfecting active ingredient in the product mixture used, which contains further solid recipe constituents, such as, for example, builders, cleaning components and further ingredients. The requisite homogeneity and stability of the powder mixture or granulate is achievable only by technically involved methods. A disadvantage also consists in the limitation of the selection of possible microbicidal active ingredients, since preferably solid substances, such as, for example, quaternary ammonium compounds or salts of chlorisocyanuric acid or of tosylchloramide can come into use. The disadvantages of the use of quaternary ammonium compounds were already described. On the other hand, chlorine-containing active ingredients are AOX-forming substances, the introduction of which into communal waste water systems is restricted. By AOX-forming substances there is understood, in accordance with the present invention, that these compounds can lead to formation of organic halogen compounds absorbable at active chlorine.